St. Martins Sunset.

[Ed Rizk]

Any advice or commentary is appreciated.

Ed.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Ed,

Looks like you got the attachment on now.
As you probably know by now, just because the original poster can see an image doesn't always mean it is there for us to see (if only life were that simple), but that's obviously sorted now.

Any chance (since the EXIF data is stripped) you could tell us what camera settings you used (and if a tripod was involved)?

I can see why you took the shot.
The composition might be improved if it were possible to take a step or two to your left, leaving a little less blank sky+trees on the left and 'moving' the cross further right, to be on a diagonal from left spire.

It looks like it might respond to some agressive PP (on the full size original, not this jpg) to produce something a bit sharper, brighter and without the black line on right hand side.

Thanks,

[Ed Rizk]

Thanks, Dave,

My export function of iPhoto would not export a small enough file, so I made a JPEG from a screen print. Very primitive, but, I spend way too much time in the analog world.

I used a Sony Cybershot HX1 Program mode with a few adjustments for Vivid color and plus saturation, -1/3 exposure compensation, ISO 400, 1/30 sec, F3.2, no tripod.

Best of everything to you,

Ed

[Wirefox]

I agree with Dave in that I can see what made you take this shot. The HX1 is an impressive point and shoot camera (costing as much as an entry level DSLR)and whilst program mode will be fine for images with a low dynamic range I think this scene is beyond its program capabilities. I strongly recommend that you get out of program mode and into Av mode or even fully manual (I believe the HX1 will allow that). You will be surprised at the quality of images it can produce. I had a FinePix 7000, a much older camera with similar functions and I hardly ever took it out of Av mode for landscapes.

I would also advise against using vivid colour settings. You can adjust things too taste by adjusting levels and curves in Photoshop (or GIMP if you prefer free software). I am not sure why you have used a negative exposure compensation (unless the camera was metering off the cross). I suggest you seriously consider a tripod.it does not have to be anything too hefty since he camera is featherweight compared to a DSLR. Then you can play with lower ISO (since 400 seems noisy) and longer exposures.

wrt iPhoto open the image th 'File', Export,

Kind: JPEG
JPG Quality Low
Size: Medium

Then export. However I suggest you get yourself a free Flickr account and that way paste the image url direct into your posts

Good luck

Steve

[Ed Rizk]

That is exactly what I did is export on the lowest quality which came out just over a half a meg. Good advice on the tripod. My low light images are all too noisy.

Thanks,

Ed

[Dave Humphries]

That is exactly what I did is export on the lowest quality which came out just over a half a meg. Good advice on the tripod. My low light images are all too noisy.

Hi Ed,

Did you do the image re-size; down to say, 1000 px width, before the Save As in above steps?
I have highlighted Save As because there is a risk (if you've not done it before) of overwriting the original (full res jpg) with the low res one.

That's the one downer with super-zoom compact and/or bridge cameras; the NOISE.
I recommend Neat Image, although if you have access to Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) with either Elements, Lightroom or Photoshop, the noise removal in there (to be found on "Detail" tab), is also well worth using to the max (both sliders 100).

Cheers,

[Ed Rizk]

Thanks, Dave,

I just got a copy of Photoshop Elements as a gift from my new agent. I will be installing it this week. I'm trying to come into the 20'th century now that the 21'st is here. Is Elements sufficient, or do I need the full package?

I promise to buy a real camera on my next big deal.

I appreciate all your help.

Ed

[Dave Humphries]

Is Elements sufficient, or do I need the full package?

Hi Ed,

Elements will be prefectly sufficient for quite sometime to come, in my opinion.

You can do most things with it that full PS can, maybe some not quite as easily, but there are many ways to process an image and you reach a point of diminishing returns.

I may go to Lightroom, but for the image management as much as anything.

Cheers,